preceding and succeeding wrongs offered me that I am and will be Your Majesties most humble and loyall subject FR NORRIS A Patent for the Admiralty of Ireland RIght trusty and welbeloved Cousin and Councellor We greet you well Whereas we are graciously pleased as well for the increase of our Navy and Navigators as also for the better enabling and enriching of our subjects in our Realm of Scotland to give way and liecnce unto our loving subjects of Scotland and so many of them as may make a full able and compleat company for Traffick and Merchandizing into the East Indies to erect and set up among themselves a Company to be called The East Indian Company of Scotland making their first Magazin Storehouse for the said Company in some parts of our Realm of Ireland But for that our Ports and Seas upon the Coasts of our said Realm of Ireland have of late and still are likely without our speciall aid and assistance to be much troubled and annoyed with Pirats and other Sea-Robbers to the great discouragement of our loving Subjects and Merchants passing that way We for the avoyding of those inconveniences and for the better heartning of the said Company in their intended voyage and traffick have for reasons to us best known resolved notwithstanding any other imployments of our Ships there by our Letters Patents under our great Seal of England and at the humble request and Petition of our loving Subjects of the said Company to nominate and appoint A. B. our trusty servant to be imployed in those Seas and Coasts of Ireland as fully and amply as our servant Sir F.H. is now for our narrow Seas And to the end he may with more courage and less prejudice to our said servant Sir F. H. by his diligence and industry in the said imployment free those Seas from the said annoyances our pleasure is That you by your Deed Poll do give unto our said Servant such and the like power and authority for the Irish Seas and Chanell of St. George as the said Sir F. H. hath for the Narrow Seas So always as the power and authority of the said A. B. may begin where the power and authority of the said Sir F. H. doth end that is to say from our Island of Scilie in our Realm of England unto and alongst the Coast of Ireland and the Chanell of St. George So not doubting of your speedy effecting of what is here required for the furtherance of so good a work We bid you heartily farewell From our Court at c. A Commission to divers Lords c. for the delivery of Ulushing Brill c. May 14. Jac. 14. IAMES by the grace of God King of England c. To the right Reverend Father in God our right trusty and welbeloved Councellor George Lord Archbishop of Canterbury and to our right trusty and welbeloved Councellor Tho. Ellesmere Lord Chancellor of England and to our right trusty and welbeloved Cousins and Councellors Tho. Earl of Suffolk Lord Treasurer of England Edward Earl of Worcester Lord Keeper of our Privy-Seal Lodowick Duke of Lennox Lord Steward of our houshold Charls Earl of Nottingham Lord Admiral of England William Earl of Pembroke Lord Chamberlain of our houshold Tho. Earl of Exeter John Earl of Mar and Alexander Earl of Dumfermlin and to our right trusty and right welbeloved Councellors Tho. Viscount Fenton Tho. Bishop of Winton Edward Lord Zouch Lord Warden of our Cinque-Ports William Lord Knowls Treasurer of our houshold John Lord Stanhop and Tho. Lord Bannings and to our right trusty and welbeloved Councellors Sir John Digby Knight our Vice-Chamberlain Sir John Herbert Knight one of our principal Secretaries of State Sir Fulk Grevil Knight Chancellor and Under-Treasurer of our Exchequer Sir Tho. Parry Knight Chancellor of our Dutchy of Lancaster Sir Edward Coke Knight Chief Justice of our Bench and Sir Julius Cesar Knight Master of our Rolls greeting Whereas the States-Generall of the United Provinces of the Low-Countries have divers times sollicited us by their resident Ambassador Sir Noel Caron Knight that we would be pleased to render into their hands the Towns of Flushing in Zeland with the Castle of Ramakins and of Bril in Holland with the Forts and sconces thereunto belonging which we hold by way of caution untill such sums of money as they owe unto us be reimbursed upon such reasonable conditions as should be agreed on between us and them for the reimbursing and repayments of the said monies And whereas we have recommended the consideration of this so mighty and important an affair to the judgment and discretion of you the Lords of our Privy-Councel and have received from you after long and mature deliberation and examination of the circumstances an advice That as the present condition of our State now standeth and as the nature of those Towns is meer cautionary wherein we can challenge no interest of propriety it would be much better for our service upon fair and advantagious conditions to render them then longer to hold them at so heavy a charge Now forasmuch as in our Princely wisdom we have resolved to yield up our said Towns with the said Castle and Sconces belonging unto them upon such conditions as shall be most for our advantage as well in point of honour as of profit Know ye therefore that we have assigned and appointed you the said Archbishop L. Treasurer L. Privy-Seal L. Steward L. Admiral L. Chamberlain E. of Exeter E. of Mar E. of Dunfermlin Vicount Fintons L. Bishop of Winton L. Zouch L. Knowls L. Stanhop L. Banning Sir John Digby Sir John Herbert Sir Ralph Winwood Sir Tho. Lake Sir Fulk Grevil Sir Tho. Parry Sir Edw. Coke Sir Julius Cesar our Commissioners and do by these presents give full power authority unto you or the more part of you for us and in our name to treat and conclude with the said Sir Noel Caron Knight Ambassador from the States of the United Provinces being likewise for that purpose sufficiently authorized from the said States his superiors touching the rendition and yielding up of the said Town of Flushing with the Castle of Ramakins in Zeland and of the Town of Bril in Holland with the Forts and Sconces thereto belonging and of the Artillery and Munition formerly delivered by the States with the same which are now remaining in them or any of them and have not been spent and consumed And for the delivery of them into the hands of the said States on such terms as by you shall be thought fit for our most honour and profit and for the manner thereof to give instructions to our said several Governours of the said Garrisons according to such your conclusion And this our Commission or the enrollment or exemplification thereof shall be unto you and every of you a sufficient warrant and discharge in that behalf In witness c. Witness our self at Westminster the 31 day of May in the 14 year of our
Reign c. and of Scotland the 49. A Commission to Viscount Lisle Governour to deliver them up 22 May 14. Jac. IAMES by the grace of God c. To our right trusty and welbebeloved Cozen Robert Lord Viscount Lisle Lord Chamberlain to our dear Consort the Queen and our Governour of our Town of Vlushing and of the Castle of Ramakins greeting Whereas we by Our Letters Patents sealed with Our great Seal of England bearing date at Westminster the 22. day of April in the fifth year of Out reign of England France and Ireland of Scotland the 36. for the consideration therein expressed did make ordain and constitute you the said Viscount Lisle by the name of Sir Robert Sydney Knight for Us to be the Governour and Captain of the said Town of Vlushing and of the Castle of Ramakins in the Low-Countries and of all the Garrisons and Souldiers that then were or hereafter should be there placed for Our service and guard of the said Town and Castle to have hold exercise and occupy the Office of the said Governor and Captain of the said Town and Castle by your self or your sufficient Deputie or Deputies to be allowed by Us during Our pleasure giving unto you full power and authority by your said Letters Patents to take the Oath and Oaths of all Captains Souldiers then serving or that hereafter should serve in the same Town and Castle as in like causes was requisite with divers other powers therein mentioned as by Our said Letters Patents at large appeareth And whereas the States generall of the United Provinces of the Low-Countries have divers and sundry times for many years together sollicited Us by their Resident Ambassador Sir Noel Caron Knight that We would be pleased to render into their hands the said Town of Vlushing in Zealand with the said Castle of Ramakins and the Town of Brill in Holland with the Forts Sconces thereunto belonging which We hold by way of Caution until such sums of mony as they owe unto Us be reimbursed upon such reasonable conditions as should be agreed upon between Us them for the reimbursing and repaiment of the said monies And whereas thereupon We recommended the consideration of this so weighty and important an affair to the judgement and discretion of the Lords of the Privy Councell and have received from them after long and mature deliberation and examination of Circumstances an advice that as the present condition of Our State now standeth and as the nature of those towns is lying onely Cautionary wherein we can challenge no interest of propriety it should be much better for our service upon fair and advantangious conditions to render them then longer to hold them at so heavy a charge Now forasmuch as in Our Princely Wisdom We have resolved to yeild up Our said Towns with the said Castle and Sconces belonging unto them upon such conditions as shall be most fit for Our advantage as well in point of honor as of profit And to that end by Our Commission under Our great Seal of England have assigned and appointed the Lords and others of Our Privy Councell Our Commissioners and thereby give full power and authority unto them or the more part of them for Us and in Our name to treat and conclude with the said Sir Noell Caron Knight Ambassador from the States of the United Provinces being likewise for that purpose sufficiently authorized from the said States his superiors touching the rendition and yeilding up of the said Town of Vlushing with the Castle of Ramakins in Zealand and of the said town of Brill in Holland with the Forts and Sconces thereunto belonging and of the Artillery or Munition formerly delivered by the said States with the same Towns and Castles and Forts and which are now remaining in them or any of them and have not been spent or consumed And for the delivery of the said Towns Castle Forts Artillery and Munition into the hands of the said States upon such terms as by the said Lords and other of our Privy Councell or the more part of them shall be thought fit for our most honor and profit and for the manner thereof to give instructions to our several Governors of our said Garrisons according to such their conclusion which conclusion according to our said Commission is already made and perfected We do therefore hereby give power and authority unto and do charge and command you the said Lord Lisle for us and in our name to render and yield up into the hands of the said States of the United Provinces or to such persons as shall be lawfully deputed by them the aforesaid Town of Vlushing and Castle of Ramakins whereof now you have charge by vertue of our Letters-Patents aforesaid together with the Artillery and Munition now remaining in them or any of them heretofore delivered by the said States with the said Town and Castle and as yet not spent or consumed observing and performing in all points such instructions as you shall receive under the hands of the said Lords and others of our Privy-Councel or the more part of them concerning the rendring up and delivery of the said Town And we do further give you full power and authority and by these presents do charge and command you for us and in our name to discharge and set free all the subordinate Officers Captains and souldiers under your charge of that oath and trust which heretofore they have taken for the keeping and preserving of that Town and Castle to our use and service and for that purpose to make such Declaration Proclamation and other signification of our Royal pleasure commandment and ordinance in that behalf as in your wisdom you shall think fit and these our Letters-Patents or the inrollment or exemplification thereof shall be your sufficient warrant and discharge in that behalf In witness c. Witness our self at Westminster the 22 day of May in the 14 year of our reign of England France and Ireland and of Scotland the 49. Countess of Nottingham to the Danish Ambassador SIR I Am very sorry this occasion should have been offered me by the King your Master which makes me troublesom to you for the present It is reported to me by men of honour the great wrong the King of the Danes hath done me when I was not by to answer for my self For if I had been present I would have letten him know how much I scorn to receive that wrong at his hands I need not to urge the particular of it for the King himself knows it best I protest to you Sir I did think as honorably of the King your Master as I did of my own Prince but now I perswade my self there is as much baseness in him as can be in any man For although he be a Prince by birth it seems not to me that there harbours any Princely thought in his breast for either in Prince or Subject it is the basest that
provision for his houshold according to the ancient custome to assemble the Parliament with her Majesties privity to receive the account of Officers saving the Treasurers to exercise martiall law The Queens Warrant to the Lords c. of Ireland for ministring the Oath and delivery of the Sword to him 31 Ian. 1583. RIght Reverend Father in God right trusty welbeloved and trusty and right welbeloved we greet you wel Whereas upon the departure from thence of our right trusty and welbeloved the Lord Gray of Wilton late our Deputy there we thought it meet for our government there to appoint you joyntly to have the place of our Justices until such time as we should resolve to send another thither to be our Deputy there We let you wit that meaning now no longer to burthen you with such a charge wherein you have according to the trust imposed in you very wisely behaved your selves greatly to our contentation we have chosen and appointed our right trusty and welbeloved Sir Jo. Perrot Knight this bearer to be our Deputy of that our said Realm that for that purpose to send him presently thither Wherefore our will and pleasure is and by vertue of these our Letters we authorize you upon the view of our letters Patents made and delivered unto him in that behalf both to minister unto him the oath accustomed to be given unto the Deputy there also to deliver unto him the Sword as heretofore hath been used And further that you communicate unto him amply the present estate of that our Realm and of all our affairs there for his better instruction at his entrance into that Government and the advancement of our service And these our Letters shall be your sufficient warrant and discharge in this behalf Given under our Signet c. the last of January 1583. the 26 year of our reign Another for his Entertainment there TRusty and welbeloved we greet you well Whereas we have now appointed our right trusty and welbeloved Sir John Perrot Knight to be our Deputy in that our Realm of Ireland for which Office allowance aswell of dyets as of entertainments for certain Horsmen is to be given him These be therefore to let you wit that we allow unto him for his ordinary dyet one hundred pounds sterling according to the last Establishment in March 1589. and for his Retinue fifty Horsmen and fifty Footmen with such wages for every Horsman and Footman and for their Officers as was allowed to Sir William Fitzwilliams and Sir Henry Sydney Knights in the late times of their Governments in that Realm After which rates as well for his own dyet as for the said fifty Horsmen and fifty Footmen and for their Officers We will and command you to make payment to him during his imployment and service in that place from the date of our Letters-Patents authorising him to that government And these our Letters shall be sufficient Warrant as well to you as to any Treasurer or Vice-treasurer there for the time being and to your and their Substitutes as also to the Auditor or his Deputies and to all other Commissioners to be appointed over your Accompts to pass and allow the same payments to you accordingly Given c. the fourth of April 1583. in the 26. year of our Reign of England c. The Queens Instructions to him YOU shall see immediately upon your arrival into that Realm assembled our Councel there and confer with them what course of Government upon due consideration had of the present estate of the said Realm may be held so as Justice may take place our Charges be lessened our Revenues increased and our Subjects there not oppressed You shall also consider what Forces are meet to be continued in pay and how the rest chargeable unto us and burthensom unto the Country may be discharged and also how the Horsmen and Footmen serving there may be reduced to their old pay which by reason of the general Rebellion in that Realm the Country being wasted we were driven to increase And therefore we see no reason but the Band residing in those Countries that are not wasted may live well enough of the old pay especially being victualled by us and for the ease and diminishing of our charges in that behalf We do think it meet that you should treat with those Countries that are not wasted as well in Munster or elswhere in that Realm to see if you can draw them with good contentment to contribute somthing towards the finding of that Garrison at Carberrie heretofore hath done And for that our Subjects in that Realm c. To advise of the inhabiting of Munster the attainted Lands to be let out at easie rents Survey certifie what States Statute of Vsus 5. Port-Corn 6. Th'attainted Lands to be bestowed in reward upon Servitors 7. Younger Brothers of Noblemen Diminish Pensioners 9. Review former Instructions 10 11. Renewing of forfeited Leases for three years Beef Port-Corn Remittal of Arrearages 12. Reversion of Lands to the Governours 13. Lands of the attainted to be appointed to house-keeping 14. Reservation of Timber-woods 15. Residence of Officers 16. Report to the State outrages of disloyal Subjects 17. Profits of Customs Escheats c. 19. Establishment for Connaught 20. President for Munster allowance begin at May Transportation 21. Councellors B. of Meath John Norris Richard Biâ—gham Tho. Strange 22. Refer the choice of a person to the Chancellor and others 23. Certificate of the last Treasurers Receipts and Expences Every one of these Articles doth contain half a side of Paper and therefore I have rather thought fit to abbreviate them then to transcribe them at large the whole Contents being contained in this Abbreviation Sir John Perrot to the Lords of the Councel Jan. 31. 1585. May it please your good Lordships ALthough I and this Councel have by our joynt-Letters truly declared unto you the dutifull state of things here and the causes both foraign and domestical whereupon we gather it and withall have shewed our extreme wants and what supplies are desired Yet understanding thence but not from your Lordships for I have had no kind of advertisements answer or resolution from the same these twelve moneths that there is a great preparation made by the Spanish King against the Realm and that your Lordships have intelligence thereof I cannot but as one whose chief charge and care it is importune your Lordships to cast your eye more carefully this way humbly praying you to consider what case we are in to try with a most mighty Prince whether this Realm shall be still her Majesties or his if there be any such matters as your Lordships know best then I beseech your Lordships to think whether it be more safety to say that we have sent provision to encounter the danger or else you will send when perhaps it will be too late And withall for mine own discharge if I shall tarry and have nothing wherewith I have but
wonderfull secresie and came seldom to light and that there was no presuspition thereof so great as the Recusants to come to Divine Service because it was set down by their Decrees that to come to Church before reconcilement was absolutely heretical and damnable Therefore there were added Laws containing punishment pecuniary against such Recusants not to enforce Conscience but to enfeeble and impoverish the means of those of whom it resteth indifferent and ambiguous whether they were reconciled or no. And when notwithstanding all this provision this poyson was dispersed so secretly as that there was no means to stay it but by restraining the Merchants that brought it in then lastly there was added another Law whereby such seditious Priests of new erection were exiled and those that were at that time within the Land shipped over and so commanded to keep hence upon pain of Treason This hath been the proceeding though intermingled not only with sundry examples of her Majesties grace towards such as in her wisdom she knew to be Papists in conscience and not in faction and singularity but also with an ordinary mitigation towards the offenders in the highest degree committed by Law if they would but protest that in case this Realm should be invaded with a foreign Army by the Popes authority for the Catholique cause as they term it they would take party with her Majesty and not adhere to her enemies For the other part which have been offensive to this State though in other degree which named themselves Reformers and we commonly call Puritans this hath been the proceeding towards them a great while When they inveighed against such abuses in the Church as Pluralities Non-residence and the like their zeal was not condemned only their violence was sometimes censured When they refused the use of some Ceremonies and Rites as superstitious they were tolerated with much connivencie and gentleness yea when they called in question the Superiority of Bishops and pretended to bring a Democracie into the Church yet their Propositions were heard considered and by contrary writings debated and discussed Yet all this while it was perceived that their course was dangerous and very popular As because Papistry was odious therefore it was ever in their mouths that they sought to purge the Church from the reliques of Popery a thing acceptable to the People who love ever to run from one extreme to another Because multitudes of Rogues and Poverty were an eye-sore and dislike to every man therefore they put it into the Peoples head that if Discipline were plaintive there should be no Beggers nor Vagabonds a thing very plausible And in like manner they promise the people many other impossible wonders of their Discipline Besides they opened the People a way to Government by their Consistory Presbytery a thing though in consequence no less prejudicial to the liberties of private men then to the soveraignty of Princes yet in the first shew very popular Nevertheless this except it were in some few that entred into extreme contempt was borne with because they pretended but in dutifull manner to make Propositions and to leave it to the Providence of God and the authority of the Magistrate But now of late years when there issued from them a Colony of those that affirmed the consent of the Magistrate was not to be attended when under pretence of a Confession to avoid slanders and imputations they combined themselves by Classes and Subscriptions when they descended into that vile and base means of defacing the Government of the Church by ridiculous Pasquils when they began to make many Subjects in doubt to take an Oath which is one of the fundamental points of Justice in this Land and in all places when they began both to vaunt of their strength and number of their partizans and followers and to use the communications that their Cause would prevail though with uprore and violence then it appeared to be no more zeal no more conscience but meer faction and division And therefore though the State were compelled to hold somwhat a harder hand to restrain them then before yet it was with as great moderation as the peace of the Church and State could permit And therefore to conclude consider uprightly of these matters and you shall see her Majesty is no Temporizer in Religion It is not the success abroad nor the change of servants here at home can alter her only as the things themselves alter so she applied her religious wisdom to correspond unto them still retaining the two rules before mentioned in dealing tenderly with consciences and yet in discovering Faction from Conscience Farewell Your loving Friend Francis Walsingham Sir Francis Bacon to the Earl of Essex when Sir Robert Cecil was in France My singular good Lord I Do write because I have not yet had time fully to express my conceit nor now to attend you touching Irish matters considering them as they may concern the State that it is one of the aptest particulars that hath come or can come upon the stage for your Lordship to purchase honour upon I am moved to think for three reasons Because it is ingenerate in your House in respect of my Lord your Fathers noble attempts because of all the accidents of State at this time the labour resteth most upon that and because the world will make a kind of comparison between those that set it out of frame and those that shall bring it into frame which kind of honour giveth the quickest kind of reflection The transferring this honour upon your self consisteth in two points The one if the principal persons imployed come in by you and depend upon you the other if your Lordship declare your self to undertake a care of that matter For the persons it falleth out well that your Lordship hath had no interest in the persons of imputation For neither Sir William Fitz-Williams nor Sir John Norris was yours Sir William Russel was conceived yours but was curbed Sir Coniers Clifford as I conceive it dependeth upon you who is said to do well and if my Lord of Ormond in this interim do accommodate well I take it he hath always had good understanding with your Lordship So as all things are not only whole and entire but of favourable aspect towards your Lordship if you now chuse well wherein in your wisdom you will remember there is a great difference in choice of the persons as you shall think the affairs to incline to composition or to war For your care-taking popular conceit hath been that Irish causes have been much neglected whereby the very reputation of better care will be a strength And I am sure her Majesty and my Lords of the Councel do not think their care dissolved when they have chosen whom to imploy but that they will proceed in a spirit of State and not leave the main point to discretion Then if a Resolution be taken a Consultation must proceed and the Consultation must be governed upon
out here of your Royal chests but after so many ceremonies and circumstances to be performed with your Officers in other parts as God knows hunger may end the poor man before they begin to satisfie him By all this will plainly appear to your Majesty that your Majesties subjects are by the favour and Christian justice of the King my master entred into the new Testament and law of Grace haying restitution and remedy without the delayes of ceremony and formality and we still remain under the old and tyed in ail things to the hand-writing of the Law to the burthenous circumstances and intolerable dilatory formalities of proceeding in this your Kingdom and what else your unpittifull Ministers will out of uncharitable and unsensible minds of other mens harms charge and impose upon us Well doth your Majesty conceive that would the King my Master wink at the like courses to be taken by his subjects and ministers with such of yours as they might meet upon the seas the English are not of so little invention but they could devise as good colours and pretences nor their Lawyers of so small skill and so much conscience but they could form and protract suits nor the ships of England so weakened and lessened but they could equal and surmount their losses I have out of mine own humble affection to your Majesty out of my generall and ever continuing desire to hold firm the ancient amity so necessary for your own estates and utile for the whole common-weal of Christendom out of the force of duty I owe to my King and Country thus far adventured to unburthen my soul and thoughts not doubting but your Majesties magnanimous and Christian heart will be moved as well in desire to equal the pious and immutable example of the King my Master as in a just compassion of a Nation now confederate with you and that so gladly would entertain any cause to love and serve you to give present remedy to those wofull and intolerable oppressions and that since you have firmed and consented by your Articles of Peace of new orders which being confirmed by your oath stand now in force of Laws you would be pleased in like manner to give them a new form of indilatory execution conformable to that of the King my Soveraign c. King James to the University of Cambridge Mar 4. 1616. JACOBVS Dei gratia Magnae Britanniae Franciae Hiberniae Rex Fidei defensor c. Acadmiae Cantabrigiae communi salutem SI jus civitatis impetret à nobis Cantabrigia veremur ne aemula urbis potentia crescente minuatur Academiae securitas sat erit apud nos metus vestri judicium fecisse nec enim tam vobis convenit Academiae periculum deprecari quam nobis sponte nostra quicquid in speciem illi noxium sit avertere Glorietur urbs illa se à Majoribus nostris electam doctrinarum sedem ingeniorum officium sapientiae palestram Quicquid his titulis addi potest nimis non honestatur plebeia Civitatis appellatione Musarum domicilium vel sane literatorum dicatur Civitas vel quod in villa nostrae villae in incolitarum tegitur celebritate Haec ejus fuerint privilegia Academiae dignitatem comiter observare cujus frequentia facta seipsa major affluentia bonarum artium studiosos amicè excipere quorum congressu dislata est Literatorum deinque honori ancillari unde haec illa nata est felicitas hae artes quibus crevit tenenda non aucupandam titulorum novitas incerti eventus facessat popularis vocabuli fastus unde certa oriatur aemulationis necessitas quae eo turpior urbi est futura quo majori erga Academiam obstrictam reverentiam nolumus sacrum illum musarum asylum minuti praetoris ense temerari nec strepere tetrica edicta ubi septem geminus vestri Chori auditur concentus satis in vetera purpura invidiae nova pompa tam illi futura supervacua quam vobis suspecta In nostra solvis tutela post Deum opt max. Alma scientiarum Mater nostro fovebitur sceptro indefessa illius foecunditas non abortiet ad praetorii gladii terriculum nullum honoris titulum Cantabrigiae indulgemus qui cum Academiae sollicitudine conjunctus sit Valete Datum è Palatio nostre Westmonast 4 Calend. Mar. 1616. JACOBUS REX Mr. Ruthen to the Earle of Northumberland My Lord IT may be interpreted discretion somtimes to wink at private wrongs especially for such a one as my self that have a long time wrastled with a hard Fortune and whose actions words and behaviour are continually subject to the censure of a whole State yet not to be sensible of publique and Nationall disgrace were stupidity and baseness of mind For no place nor time nor State can excuse a man from performing that duty and obligation wherein Nature hath tied him to his Countrey and to himself This I speak in regard of certain infamous verses lately by your Lordships means dispersed abroad to disgrace my Countrey and my self and to wrong and stain by me the honor of a worthy and vertuous Gentlewoman whose unspotted and immaculate vertue your self is so much more bound to admire and uphold in that having dishonorably assaulted it you could not prevail But belike my Lord you dare do any thing but that which is good and just Think not to bear down these things either by greatness or denyall for the circumstances that prove them are so evident and the veil wherewith you would shadow them is too transparant Neither would I have you flatter your self as though like another Giges you could passe in your courses invisible If you owe a spight to any of my countrey-men it is a poor revenge to rail upon me in verse or if the repulse of your lewd desire at the Gentlewomans hands hath inflamed and exasperated your choler against her it was never known that to refuse Northumberlands unlawfull lust was a crime for a Gentlewoman deserving to have her honour called in question For her part I doubt not but her own unspotted vertue will easily wipe out any blot which your malice would cast upon it and for me and my Countreymen know my good Lord that such blowes as come in rime are too weak to reach or harm us I am asham'd in your Lordships behalfe for these proceedings and sorry that the world must now see how long it hath been mistaken in Northumberlands spirit and yet who will not commend your wisdom in chusing such a safe course to wrong a woman a prisoner the one of which cannot and the other by nature quality of the place may not right his own wrongs Wherefore setting aside the most honorable order of the Garter and potesting that whatsoever is here said is no way intended to the Nobility and Gentry of England in generall which I doubt not but will condemn this your dishonorable dealing and for which both my self
Italy had to be jealous of the Arms of my Crown for having possessed many places of importance some I have freely given away and others after I had defended them in a time the owners had need I presently restored with much liberality Upon this moderation the Duke of Nivers being hardned against the Emperor my Uncle and he perhaps and other Princes calling thither the most Christian King who not contenting himselfe to have attained that which he publickly professed to desire and having left Garrison in Mountferrat and in Suza and as I am told having fortified some places hath thereby given occasion to the Emperour my Uncle to give order his Army should passe into Italy to maintaine the Authority Jurisdiction and preheminency of the Empire with whom I can doe no lesse then concurre and give him assistance in respect of the great and strict obligation of Blood of Honour and of Conveniency which I hold with his imperial Majesty and for the which I doe acknowledge from the sacred Empire declaring now as I have done heretofore and as my Embassadours have told your Holinesse that in this businesse I do neither directly nor indirectly aim at any other end of mine own particular interest But beholding the numerous Armies of the Emperour in Italy and with extreme griefe foreseeing the harmes inconveniences and dangers that Italy must thereby suffer in matter of Religion being that which most importeth I doe not only resent it in respect of that portion which God hath given me in Christendome but especially as a King and Prince of Italy the peace of those Provinces being disturbed which my Progenitors with so much Judgment and providence and with so much Authority and benefit of the Natives had so many years preserved Wherefore I thought it my duty to present unto your beatitude that experience hath demonstrated that to oppose and straighten the Jurisdiction of the Emperour and to resist his commandments hath brought matters to these difficult terms and this way being still persisted in there must needs follow those mischiefâ— which we desire to shun Now the most convenient manner how to compose these businesses is that your Holinesse doe effectually perswade the Duke of Nivers to accomodate himself to the Justice and obedience of the Emperour and the King of France to recall his Armies out of Italy and the Princes that doe aid Nivers no more to interest themselves in the businesse even as from the beginning my Ministers have propounded to your Beatitude because this difference being ended juridically all the persons interessed shall come off with honour and reputation and so all of them shall have a ground to beseech the Emperour that out of his wonted clemency he wil take off that impression which he justly might have conceived against the Duke of Nivers whereupon things inclining to this issue I shal with a very good will imploy my best offices to the end that speedy and exact justice may be administred and also that his Caesarian Majesty may give experimental effects of his magnanimity and stability desiring with a most sincere affection that so much Christian blood may be spared as would be spilt in this war and that those forces might be imployed to the service and not to the prejudice of Christendome Thus have I cleerly and sincerely delivered my meaning unto your Holinesse to the end that knowing my intention you may do those offices which your manifold wisedome shall find proper for the place whereto God hath advanced you and if God for our sins have decreed to chastise Christendome by continuing the war let this dispatch be a testimony of my good wil and real intention towards peace for the prosecuting whereof I on my part will alwaies imbrace any reasonable and proportionable meanes Oar Lord God preserve your Beatitude a thousand yeares The Councel of Ireland to King Charles in defence of the Lord Deputie Faulkland April 28. 1619 MAy it please your most excellent Majesty we stand so bounden to your royall Self and your most blessed Father our late deceased Soveraigne Lord and Master as we are urged in duty to prostrate this act of our faith at your Majesties feet as an assay to cleer some things wherein misinformation may seem to have approached your high Wisdome We understand that it is collected out of some late Dispatches from hence that there are such disorders in the Government here as by the present Governors are remedilesse all which is ascribed to the differences between persons of chief place We do in all humility testifie and declare that we have not seen or known any inconvenience to the publick service by the difference between your Majesties Deputy and Chancellor neither have of late seen or heard any act or speech of contention between them Other difference between persons of any eminent Action wee understand none neither are any disorders here yet so overgrown as co surpasse the redresse of the present Governour especially so long as he hath such a standing English Army as your Majesty now alloweth if only we may receive some supply of Armes and munition which we have often written for do daily expect and which shall be no losse to your Majesty It is true most gracious Soveraign that in some late dispatches we mentioned three grievances in this government which in extent may threaten much if we be not timely directed from thence concerning them viz. the insolence and excrescence of the Popish pretended Clergie the disorder and offence of the Irish Regiment and the late outragious presumption of the unsetled Irish in some parts towards all which being parties perhaps otherwise conceived of there then understood here your Deputy and Councel have of late used particular abstinence holding themselves somewhat limited concerning them by late Instructions Letters and directions from thence And therefore lest countenance of that course might turn to greater damage we make choice seasonably to crave expression of the good pleasure of your Highnesse and the most Honourable Lords of your Councel lest our actions and zeal therein might vary from the purposes on that side and so want of unanimity in both States breake the progresse of the Reformation not that we any way make doubt to give your Majestly a good accompt of our selves therein and of the ful eviction of those evils in due time so we might be assured of your Majestys and their Lordships good allowance of our endeavours being confident in all humility to declare and affirme to your Sacred Majesty that the rest of this great body as to the civil part thereof is in far better order at this time then ever it was in the memory of man as wel in the current and general execution of Justice according to the Lawes in the freedome of mens persons and estates the present charge of the Army excepted and in the Universal outward subjection of all sorts of setled inhabitants to the Crowne and Lawes of England and also in the